Dubai: The outdoor advertising company JCDecaux of France has won a 20-year contract from Muscat Municipality for a range of street-side furniture displaying advertisements.
The contract covers the installation, maintenance, and upkeep of bus shelters, street name poles, benches and even specially-created litter bins.
City information panels and automatic public toilets designed by the French designer Patrick Jouin also form part of the 640 advertising panels used in the campaign.
"This is one step forward in our Middle East strategy that has been based so far exclusively on organic growth," said Jean-Charles Decaux, co-CEO of the advertising firm.
"Our position in the region was reinforced four years after we launched our Middle East operation with the Street Furniture programme in Doha, followed by the concession agreement with Dubai International Airport, and only two years after our expansion to Saudi Arabia."
Rapid development
The street furniture for the Muscat campaign has been designed to integrate into the local architectural style. A permanent network of advertising sites will be reserved exclusively for the municipality to enhance communication with the public through community information, government announcements and city maps.
"Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and witnessed high growth in population and a boom in tourism," said Sultan Bin Hamdoon Al Harthi, mayor of Muscat.
"To cope with this development, one of our major tasks is to enhance the city services with world-class facilities through a long-term plan."
JCDecaux, which earned revenues of €2.46 billion (Dh12.13 billion) last year, has exclusive advertising rights at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central — Al Maktoum International Airport. It is also associated with Sharjah International Airport.
JCDecaux operates more than one million ad panels in more than 50 countries.
